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Lucy

    Lucy Cruising Outbound; Testing Solar Array Options on Ground

    The Lucy spacecraft, launched on Oct. 16, 2021, is now over 30 million miles, or 48 million kilometers, from Earth and continues to operate safely in "outbound cruise" mode. Besides a solar array that didn't latch after deployment — an issue the mission team is working to resolve— all spacecraft systems are normal. The arrays …

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    NASA Zeroing in on Path Forward for Lucy Solar Array

    NASA plans to conduct additional ground tests on an engineering model of the Lucy solar array motor and lanyard prior to potentially attempting full deployment of one of the probe's solar arrays. A project team completed an assessment Dec. 1 of the ongoing solar array issue, which did not appear to fully deploy as planned …

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    Lucy Instruments Checkout A-OK

    NASA's Lucy spacecraft continues to operate in cruise mode – the standard mode for its orbit away from Earth. Checkouts for the Lucy instruments were successfully completed Nov. 8, and all instruments are working normally. Following checkout completion, the instruments were powered off, and the remaining spacecraft subsystem commissioning activities are continuing as scheduled. Lucy's …

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    NASA’s Lucy Instruments Powering On and Working Normally

    The Lucy spacecraft continues to operate in cruise mode – the standard mode for outbound orbit. The team has begun turning on instruments. L'TES and L'Ralph have been powered on and are working normally. Turning on L'LORRI is scheduled for Nov. 8, 2021. Other than the solar array, all subsystems continue to work normally. The …

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    Lucy Stable in Cruise Mode

    The Lucy spacecraft remains in cruise mode, which is the standard flight mode for outbound flight and allows for substantial autonomy for the spacecraft. The spacecraft has successfully executed several small planned maneuvers, which have had no adverse effect on the one solar array that is not fully deployed. On Oct. 29, NASA will adjust …

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    Lucy Spacecraft Healthy as NASA Continues Solar Array Assessments

    NASA's Lucy spacecraft successfully transitioned to cruise mode Oct. 20, which is the standard configuration for flight. The following day, the instrument pointing platform was deployed after temporarily being postponed earlier in the week. Both events were normal and raised no concerns. The spacecraft remains stable, power positive, with all other subsystems working, with the …

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    NASA Team Remains Focused on Lucy’s Solar Arrays

    After successful separation from the rocket on Oct. 16, NASA's Lucy spacecraft deployed both solar arrays. Soon after deployment, NASA received confirmation that one of the solar arrays was fully deployed and latched. Analysis currently shows the second solar array is partially unfurled. The team continues to look at all available engineering data to establish …

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    Lucy Spacecraft Healthy; Solar Arrays Being Analyzed

    Following a successful launch on Oct. 16, 2021, analysis of NASA's Lucy spacecraft systems show the spacecraft is operating well and is stable. Lucy's two solar arrays have deployed, and both are producing power and the battery is charging. While one of the arrays has latched, indications are that the second array may not be …

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    NASA, ULA Launch Lucy Mission to ‘Fossils’ of Planet Formation

    NASA's Lucy mission, the agency's first to Jupiter's Trojan asteroids, launched at 5:34 a.m. EDT Saturday on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Over the next 12 years, Lucy will fly by one main-belt asteroid and seven Trojan asteroids, making …

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